Domain D · Area D-CA1 · Reporting design, planning and controlled workflow
D.4Design and control data and narrative requests
Working Draft version 1.1
Purpose and scope
This unit covers the capability to translate disclosure, metric, evidence and review requirements into controlled data and narrative requests. It defines the request purpose, scope, period, boundary, method reference, owner, preparer, reviewer, evidence, due date, submission format, confidentiality, workflow status, exception and approval requirements. It manages the request process but does not itself define specialist calculation methodologies or approve the reported conclusion.
Applied competency statement
Can design and operate controlled data and narrative requests with clear definitions, ownership, evidence, deadlines, submission and review requirements, workflow statuses and exception handling.
Boundary and escalation
This unit owns request specification, issue, submission, review and exception workflow semantics. E.1–E.3 own definitions and methods, E.4 owns source selection and collection design, E.7 owns validation and I.2 owns automation of the approved workflow. C.2 owns formal role allocation; legal, privacy, security and specialist methodology matters require qualified review.
Key quality risks
Ambiguous or duplicated requests; undefined period, unit, boundary or methodology; sending one generic spreadsheet to all contributors; unclear difference between owner, preparer and reviewer; requests issued before definitions are approved; no evidence requirement; uncontrolled email versions; inaccessible systems or confidential data; late clarification; incomplete submissions marked complete; and workflow automation that hides exceptions or changes.
D.4-K01
Understands how disclosure requirements, metric protocols, materiality decisions, evidence needs and review criteria are converted into specific data and narrative requests.
Knowledge Type: Request translation · Normative Weight: Core
D.4-K02
Understands purpose, definition, period, boundary, unit, method, dimensions, owner, preparer, reviewer, source, evidence, due date, format, confidentiality, approval and contact fields.
Knowledge Type: Request anatomy · Normative Weight: Core
D.4-K03
Understands request issue, acknowledgement, in progress, submitted, returned, revised, approved, waived and closed statuses and the controls needed for reminders, exceptions and reopenings.
Knowledge Type: Workflow and status · Normative Weight: Core
D.4-K04
Understands the distinction between requester, accountable owner, data or narrative preparer, methodology owner, reviewer and approver and the relationship to the role framework in C.2.
Knowledge Type: Ownership and accountability · Normative Weight: Core
D.4-K05
Understands system access, secure transfer, privacy, confidentiality, personal and market-sensitive data, record retention and restrictions on external or AI tools.
Knowledge Type: Access and protection · Normative Weight: Core
D.4-K06
Understands completeness criteria, evidence acceptance, exception queues, ageing, escalation, version control, request changes and dashboards that distinguish progress from approved quality.
Knowledge Type: Monitoring and quality · Normative Weight: Core
D.4-S01
Translate each required disclosure, metric or evidence item into an unambiguous request linked to the approved definition and reporting context.
Skill Type: Core applied capability · Observable Output or Result: Controlled request specification
D.4-S02
Group and sequence requests by owner, source, workstream and dependency and design submission, review, return, approval and exception workflows.
Skill Type: Pack and workflow design · Observable Output or Result: Controlled data and narrative request pack
D.4-S03
Assign owner, preparer, reviewer and approver roles and define evidence, source, access, confidentiality and retention requirements.
Skill Type: Ownership and evidence control · Observable Output or Result: Request ownership, status and evidence register
D.4-S04
Issue requests, respond to clarification, monitor status and ageing, validate completion criteria and route incomplete or changed submissions for resolution.
Skill Type: Operation and monitoring · Observable Output or Result: Submission, review and exception workflow
D.4-S05
Control request revisions, assess downstream effects and escalate overdue, inaccessible, sensitive, method-dependent or unsupported items.
Skill Type: Change and escalation · Observable Output or Result: Request change and escalation record
D.4-B01
Designs requests that contributors can understand and fulfil without unnecessary duplication or burden while retaining required specificity.
Behaviour Type: Clarity and proportionality · Non-compensable Requirement: No
D.4-B02
Does not classify a request as complete merely because a file was submitted; completion requires the defined evidence and review conditions.
Behaviour Type: Status integrity · Non-compensable Requirement: No
D.4-B03
Protects confidential and personal information and raises definition, access, capacity and method gaps early rather than shifting them silently to contributors.
Behaviour Type: Protection and escalation · Non-compensable Requirement: No
Typical tasks · 4
D.4-T01
Compile the disclosure map, metric protocols, evidence needs, owner matrix and reporting timetable.
Primary Output Link: D.4-O01
D.4-T02
Draft and validate data and narrative requests, instructions, templates, evidence requirements, due dates and clarification routes.
Primary Output Link: D.4-O01
D.4-T03
Configure the request register and workflow, assign roles and statuses and establish monitoring, review, exception and secure-transfer controls.
Primary Output Link: D.4-O02
D.4-T04
Issue and monitor requests, manage clarification and returns, control changes and escalate late, sensitive or incomplete submissions.
Primary Output Link: D.4-O03
Level 1 · Foundation
D.4-L1-01
Can issue and maintain established requests, update ownership and status fields and check submitted items against specified completeness and evidence criteria.
Indicator Dimension: Task execution
D.4-L1-02
Can identify obvious ambiguity, missing evidence, late or inaccessible submissions and escalate definition, method or confidentiality questions.
Indicator Dimension: Quality, judgement and accountability
Level 2 · Practitioner
D.4-L2-01
Can independently design and operate a controlled request process for a moderately complex reporting workstream with multiple owners, data types and review stages.
Indicator Dimension: Task execution
D.4-L2-02
Can resolve routine clarification and workflow exceptions, assess request changes and explain status, evidence and residual gaps to management and contributors.
Indicator Dimension: Quality, judgement and accountability
Level 3 · Advanced Practitioner
D.4-L3-01
Can design or critically review enterprise request taxonomies, workflow states, evidence rules and exception governance for complex groups or reporting platforms.
Indicator Dimension: Method design and review
D.4-L3-02
Can challenge burdensome, ambiguous or falsely complete request processes, resolve major ownership and access issues and advise management on automation, capacity and residual delivery risk.
Indicator Dimension: Leadership and governance
Illustrative evidence · 6
D.4-E01
Controlled data and narrative request pack linked to disclosure and metric requirements.
Evidence Type: Work product
D.4-E02
Request ownership, status and evidence register with role, due date, source, confidentiality and approval fields.
Evidence Type: Work product
D.4-E03
Submission, review and exception workflow with status definitions, return routes and escalation thresholds.
Evidence Type: Work product
D.4-E04
Request issue, clarification, return, revision, approval and change trail.
Evidence Type: Process evidence
D.4-E05
Documented owner, data, privacy, legal, IT, quality or management review and the practitioner's response.
Evidence Type: Review evidence
D.4-E06
Observed handling of ambiguous, late, sensitive or incomplete requests in a simulation or workplace setting.
Evidence Type: Observed performance
Assessment · 3
D.4-A-L1
Request-quality exercise, workflow update and situational judgement
Request clarity; role and evidence completeness; correct status; recognition of method, privacy and escalation issues.
D.4-A-L2
Integrated request-cycle case and professional memorandum
Specification quality; workflow and ownership design; evidence and confidentiality controls; exception resolution and management communication.
D.4-A-L3
Complex platform and group case, portfolio and oral defence
Method and workflow design; taxonomy and automation judgement; data protection; change and exception governance; oral defence.
| From | To | Type | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.7 | D.4 | Feeds into | The request inventory informs controlled data and narrative requests, deadlines and approvals. |
| C.2 | D.4 | Feeds into | Role ownership and approval requirements inform reporting requests and workflow design. |
| D.2 | D.4 | Feeds into | The disclosure map determines the data, narrative and evidence requests that must be issued. |
| D.3 | D.4 | Feeds into | The integrated plan defines request issue dates, due dates, review windows and escalation thresholds. |
| D.4 | C.2 | Governance and role linkage | Request ownership, review and approval should align with the formal responsibility and sign-off model. |
| D.4 | E.1 | Prerequisite | Data requests depend on approved metric definitions and data-dictionary fields. |
| D.4 | E.4 | Strong linkage | Request design and data-source and owner design must operate consistently. |
| D.4 | F.2 | Risk and control linkage | Submission, review and exception workflows implement reporting control activities. |
| D.4 | I.1 | Digital and technology linkage | Reporting platforms and workflow tools may automate the request process subject to controlled requirements. |
| E.1 | D.4 | Feeds into | Approved definitions and data-dictionary fields are converted into controlled data and narrative requests. |
| E.4 | D.4 | Operational and workflow linkage | Source and ownership design should align with request specifications, statuses and exception handling. |
| I.2 | D.4 | Operational and workflow linkage | Automated workflows may implement data and narrative requests, statuses, review and exception routing. |
| Role | Target level | Relevance | Evidence expectation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Sustainability Reporting Practitioner | Practitioner | Required? | A case or work sample demonstrating independent performance, documented judgement and a reviewable professional output. |
| Sustainability Reporting Manager or Lead | Advanced Practitioner | Role-defining? | A complex case or verified portfolio, supplemented by oral or observed defence, demonstrating method design, challenge and governance capability. |
| Sustainability Reporting Adviser or Consultant | Practitioner | Required? | A case or work sample demonstrating independent performance, documented judgement and a reviewable professional output. |
| Sustainability Data, Systems and Controls Specialist | Advanced Practitioner | Role-defining? | A complex case or verified portfolio, supplemented by oral or observed defence, demonstrating method design, challenge and governance capability. |
| Assurance Readiness and Reporting Quality Specialist | Advanced Practitioner | Role-defining? | A complex case or verified portfolio, supplemented by oral or observed defence, demonstrating method design, challenge and governance capability. |
| Investor, Capital Markets and Ratings Disclosure Specialist | Practitioner | Required? | A case or work sample demonstrating independent performance, documented judgement and a reviewable professional output. |